# Sharpie smell dissipation?



## rumballs (Mar 15, 2005)

Many of us use Sharpies to write on cigar baggies.
I did so earlier this morning, probably 2 hours ago.
Just smelled the plastic bag and it seems that the ink still has an odor. Almost like beef jerky - not nearly as bad as the wet ink smell, but still.
Anyone have any info on, or have you done an experiment to determine how long it takes to become odorless?

I'll update later today...


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## newcigarz (Feb 11, 2007)

mmblz said:


> Many of us use Sharpies to write on cigar baggies.
> I did so earlier this morning, probably 2 hours ago.
> Just smelled the plastic bag and it seems that the ink still has an odor. Almost like beef jerky - not nearly as bad as the wet ink smell, but still.
> Anyone have any info on, or have you done an experiment to determine how long it takes to become odorless?
> ...


I am very curious of this as well. I have shyed away from writing on the bags for this very reason.


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## Munkey (Jan 14, 2008)

Plastic is non-permeable. Writing on the outside isn't going to affect the cigars inside. And you aren't doing long-term storage in a baggy are you? Cellophane being plant matter may be another story.


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## rumballs (Mar 15, 2005)

Munkey said:


> Plastic is non-permeable. Writing on the outside isn't going to affect the cigars inside. And you aren't doing long-term storage in a baggy are you? Cellophane being plant matter may be another story.


Cigars are in plastic divider baggy.
Then i leave the top open and put it in my humi.
I want to make sure the outside is odorless before I do so.


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## chibnkr (May 2, 2007)

Give it a day or so and you'll be fine. The volatile solvent component will evaporate in that time and the smell will dissapate. I don't really worry about it (I use a sharpie to write box information on masking tape that I affix to my boxes).


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## skibumdc (Jun 27, 2007)

Munkey said:


> Plastic is non-permeable.


You sure about that?
What about osmosis?
Try this. Fill the bag with water and a few drops of cologne, or perfume from the misses, seal it up good.
Now put that bag into a bucket of water and wait overnight.

Surprise, the water outside the bag now smells like cologne/perfume.

Fun little 6th grade science experiment.


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## rumballs (Mar 15, 2005)

yeah i'm not too concerned. more surprised that i hadn't noticed this before, and just curious how long it takes...


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## Tripp (Nov 27, 2006)

skibumdc said:


> You sure about that?
> What about osmosis?
> Try this. Fill the bag with water and a few drops of cologne, or perfume from the misses, seal it up good.
> Now put that bag into a bucket of water and wait overnight.
> ...


We did this with iodine when I was a kid.


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## Munkey (Jan 14, 2008)

mmblz said:


> Cigars are in plastic divider baggy.
> Then i leave the top open and put it in my humi.
> I want to make sure the outside is odorless before I do so.


Hmmm, perhaps a light application of heat via blow dryer would hasten the process.


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## Blueface (May 28, 2005)

skibumdc said:


> You sure about that?
> What about osmosis?
> Try this. Fill the bag with water and a few drops of cologne, or perfume from the misses, seal it up good.
> Now put that bag into a bucket of water and wait overnight.
> ...


Yup.

I was just reading lately that they are saying NOT to use Sharpies on your DVDs/CDs.
Seems it penetrates through that also.
If it can go through that, a plastic bag is no match.


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## sanfrantreat (Jan 12, 2008)

mmblz said:


> Many of us use Sharpies to write on cigar baggies.
> I did so earlier this morning, probably 2 hours ago.
> Just smelled the plastic bag and it seems that the ink still has an odor. Almost like beef jerky - not nearly as bad as the wet ink smell, but still.
> Anyone have any info on, or have you done an experiment to determine how long it takes to become odorless?
> ...


lol do you snif glue as well? :r

sorry had to..it was just there.. =]


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## Seanohue (Oct 2, 2006)

Blueface said:


> Yup.
> 
> I was just reading lately that they are saying NOT to use Sharpies on your DVDs/CDs.
> Seems it penetrates through that also.
> If it can go through that, a plastic bag is no match.


Hmmm I did not know that. What does one use instead for CDs/DVDs?


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## JCK (Nov 9, 2006)

I usually can't smell the chemicals from the Sharpie within a few minutes of writing on plastic baggies or cello. But then sometimes I wonder if my nose works right.


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## rumballs (Mar 15, 2005)

update: the original baggy stopped smelling shortly after i posted this, so about 2-3 hours. But since I didn't have an exact time I wrote on another bag to track the progress more carefully.
Immediately after writing, it smelled just like the marker itself.
1 minute later the chemical smell was gone and replaced with the beef jerky smell.
After half an hour the beef jerky smell was a bit weaker.
After two and half hours it was weaker again.
After three hours it was a very weak smell - I think at this point the smell of cigars on the first bag had over powered the Sharpie smell.
After 5.5 hours, the smell was almost unnoticeable.
After 12 hours it was essentially gone.

Usually when I use a Sharpie it's in a package I'm sending out, so the odor has plenty of time to dissipate. On the rare occasions where I'm about to put something in my humi, in the future I'll probably try to wait at least a half hour.


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## LasciviousXXX (Oct 12, 2004)

mmblz said:


> yeah i'm not too concerned. more surprised that i hadn't noticed this before, and just curious how long it takes...


I actually picked up my habit of writing the year of singles on the cap of the cigar with a sharpie from one of the FOG's here. Hasn't affected taste or flavor as far as I've noticed


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## kansashat (Mar 13, 2004)

Blueface said:


> Yup.
> 
> I was just reading lately that they are saying NOT to use Sharpies on your DVDs/CDs.
> Seems it penetrates through that also.
> If it can go through that, a plastic bag is no match.


Sorry for the threadjack here, but I do this & am wondering what is the harm? What will the ink penetrate to & what damage does it do?


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## billhud (Dec 31, 2007)

newcigarz said:


> I am very curious of this as well. I have shyed away from writing on the bags for this very reason.


(I don't, but *IF *I were to worry about it) I'd more worry about the odors and off-gassing of the plastic bag and how that affected the tobacco.


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## MadAl (Feb 19, 2006)

mmblz said:


> Many of us use Sharpies to write on cigar baggies.
> I did so earlier this morning, probably 2 hours ago.
> Just smelled the plastic bag and it seems that the ink still has an odor. Almost like beef jerky - not nearly as bad as the wet ink smell, but still.
> Anyone have any info on, or have you done an experiment to determine how long it takes to become odorless?
> ...


I hate sharpies just for that reason. Use them as little as possible.


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## catfish (Jan 31, 2007)

If you want to write on the finger baggs do it a couple of days ahead to give it time to dry throughly. One thing I like to do is to use a sharpie ultra fine point and put a tiny mark of some sort on the folded flap of the cello (by mark I mean letters, numbers, symbols #*+ ). Then on a little note book that never goes into the humidor I put the important information=

Arturo Fuente
Hemmingway/ classic
perfecto
RG/length
1=1996
A=2000
*=2007

THis is just an example. Use what ever makes sense to you.


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## Dgar (Sep 12, 2006)

I've used sharpies to date the cello for years, with no problems... I've smoked plenty with and with out any markings, and I cant tell any dfference.
I usually let them sit out for a couple hours then toss them in the humi.

I usually just wright the month and year.... ex. 3/08...


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## burninator (Jul 11, 2006)

LasciviousXXX said:


> deciton ev'I sa raf sa rovalf ro etsat detceffa t'nsaH .ereh s'GOF eht fo eno morf eiprahs a htiw ragic eht fo pac eht no selgnis fo reay hgt gnitirw fo tibah ym pu dekcip yllautca I


You sure about that, dude?


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## replicant_argent (May 13, 2006)

What the hell is wrong with sniffing sharpies????!!!!

:al

^^^^ really big sharpie shoved up the nostril of choice.


I write on the caps, and occasionally on the bags. Never thought about the residual odor, but I do let them dry a bit before tossing them in their respective homes.


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